So what's the real value proposition here? Well, yes, dogs can be trained to respond to certain odors and can be valuable tools. Their noses and responses, however, should not be considered to be fully conclusive, regardless of their training or whether they are fed as a reward or as a matter of course. A dog is only as good as its training and handling, and even a well-managed dog may quickly lose interest or become distracted by competing stimuli. If a dog reacts as trained to the scent of a bed bug, this should trigger a thorough search by trained eyes to confirm the presence of an extant population of bed bugs. Treating based solely on a dog’s reaction is unwise and invites abuse. That's why IdentifyUS offers no cost/low cost information about bed bugs and their management with no third party pest control agenda. That's why we also recommend that you always attempt to positively identify live culprits at the scene. If you want a trained entomologist to help, start by completing a Specimen Evaluation Form and uploading digital images of your specimen to IdentifyUS.